Chapter 3

The taste was definitely unique.

It was like the mint scent I had sensed through my nose earlier. It felt refreshingly cool in my mouth, and it was sweet with a hint of sourness.

It was strange that water could have such a peculiar taste.

This only added to my growing concerns.

‘What should I do?’

I had the water in my mouth.

I was hesitant to swallow it, but spitting it out also felt wrong.

If this really was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity, spitting out the water would be like kicking away a stroke of luck that had come my way.

The one fortunate thing was that, despite having the water in my mouth, there were no immediate signs of any adverse effects, suggesting that it didn't contain any toxic substances. Of course, this didn't guarantee that it was entirely safe.

Just then,

Glug!

I swallowed the water.

This wasn't intentional.

The sweet and sour water had stimulated my salivary glands, and without realizing it, my throat had moved, causing me to swallow.

“Ew!”

Startled, I tried to spit out the water, but it had already gone down my throat and into my esophagus.

“Oh, what do I do?”

I slumped to the ground.

Anxiety and a myriad of thoughts overwhelmed me.

Would my body suddenly become paralyzed, making it impossible to walk?

Or would I start vomiting blood and die here?

I quickly pulled out my phone from my pocket.

“Ugh! Should I call 119 right away?”

But what would I say to 119?

I drank strange water from the mountain.

While there were no immediate symptoms, I was calling because I was anxious. They would likely tell me to walk to the hospital myself since I seemed fine.

So, I decided to hold off on calling 119.

Since I didn't feel nauseous or vomit, it seemed the water wasn't harmful.

However, it didn't seem to be a miraculous elixir either.

After all, such a rare opportunity wouldn't come so easily.

“What? I overreacted.”

Feeling a bit embarrassed, I let out a hollow laugh.

I gathered the fiddlehead ferns and stood up.

I decided to reach the top of the mountain since I had already climbed this far.

Actually, the summit was just a small hill behind the neighborhood.

“Huff, huff!”

My poor physical condition hadn't improved.

My heart was pounding as if it would burst.

Despite this, I felt incredibly good.

From the top, I could see the entire village.

This must be why people go to great lengths to climb mountains.

“Yay! I'm a man of nature!”

If someone saw me, they might think I had climbed Everest, but I was alone on this small hill, and this was my mountain.

I thought I should come up here more often to take care of my health.

*

I came down from the mountain.

My legs were wobbly.

The sun was setting, and I was extremely hungry after the climb, so I hurried to prepare dinner. I picked some lettuce from the garden to make a side dish.

I planned to make seasoned lettuce.

I found it too troublesome to fetch a basket from the house, so I decided to use the front of my shirt as a makeshift basket.

I gathered the lettuce and fiddlehead ferns in the front of my shirt and walked back home like a triumphant general.

“Let's make dinner first.”

I washed the rice and put it in the rice cooker, then pressed the cooking button. The electric pressure cooker had a magical effect that made the rice taste great.

Next, I prepared the side dishes.

I boiled the fiddlehead ferns I had picked from the mountain.

Since fiddlehead ferns are toxic, I boiled them thoroughly and then soaked them in cold water. I planned to stir-fry them later, but for today, I would make seasoned lettuce.

Swoosh—

I washed the lettuce I had picked from the garden and placed it in a large bowl. I added soy sauce, sesame oil, red pepper powder, and sesame seeds, and mixed them gently. The delicious aroma of the seasoning made my mouth water.

I had quickly made a side dish.

To supplement my protein, I also fried an egg.

I took out some kimchi and placed it on the table, and dinner was ready!

“Wow! This is like honey!”

I was so hungry from the climb that it really tasted delicious. At first, I ate a few bites, but eventually, I mixed the leftover rice with the seasoned lettuce in the large bowl, and it was incredibly tasty.

Feeling satisfied, I patted my stomach and moved the empty bowl to the sink.

By the time I finished the dishes, it was already dark outside.

“It's already pitch black outside.”

When I lived in Seoul, the area was well-lit with lights from the apartment buildings and shops, even at this hour. Here, however, it was completely dark. The village was a short walk away, but most people, being farmers, didn't go out after dark.

Another significant issue was that there was no delivery service here, which was inconvenient.

I could either cook my own meals or go to the city to buy bread and snacks.

Of course, I knew this.

I had deliberately chosen this quiet place, so I had to accept these inconveniences. Over time, I would find many good things about living here.

“Hmm! Still, I should have some chicken and beer occasionally.”

While chicken and beer would be perfect, I couldn't drink much alcohol, so I had cola instead.

It was a bit sad that I wouldn't have many opportunities to enjoy chicken and beer while living here, but I decided to think positively. Not eating such things might help me stay in better shape.

“Even though it's not far from Seoul, there's such a cultural difference.”

I could understand if this were a remote village in Gangwon Province or an uninhabited island, but there were buses to Seoul and it wasn't far by car. Despite this, the location of my house made it impossible to get delivery.

The car navigation system showed the road to the village but indicated that there was no road to my place.

Fortunately, there was a road wide enough for a car, or I would have had to build a new one.

“I'll watch some TV and go to bed.”

I moved to the living room sofa.

The old man who lived here didn't have a TV, but I needed one for the internet.

“Is there anything interesting on?”

I picked up the TV remote and flipped through the channels, but nothing caught my interest.

I hadn't watched TV for a while.

When I was in despair and wanted to die, I couldn't focus on dramas, and variety shows with people laughing and joking didn't resonate with me.

But now that my anger had subsided, I was living more like a normal person.

Still, I didn't find the light-hearted TV shows particularly appealing.

I listened to some trot songs for a while and then turned off the TV.

The lyrics about lovers breaking up made me laugh. The idea of truly loving someone and then letting them go seemed hypocritical. If you really loved someone, shouldn't you take responsibility for them until the end?

I didn't really understand love.

When I was married to Chae-yeon and lived happily without knowing anything, I thought I truly loved her. I believed I would do anything for her, even sacrifice my life.

But the moment I learned the truth,

My feelings for her cooled instantly.

I realized that I hadn't loved her.

I had only been seeking satisfaction through her beautiful and slender appearance, compensating for my own inferiority complex about my looks. If I hadn't known about my congenital condition, I would have continued to delude myself into thinking I loved her.

“Right!”

I quickly picked up my phone from the table.

The water I drank on the mountain.

There were no symptoms, but my curiosity hadn't faded, so I decided to search for information about it.

Super Cool Guy.

This was a bit embarrassing, but it was the username I used in a community I occasionally visited.

In reality, I was an unattractive loser, but I could choose my username freely without breaking any laws.

I left the community.

I already knew this.

I had only taken a sip of the suspicious water on the mountain, and since there were no symptoms, it might just be muddy water, as "I'm a Jerk" suggested. While there were some suspicious aspects, overthinking it wouldn't help.

“Let's just take a shower and go to bed.”

There was no need to waste energy on pointless things.

I was grateful that my body showed no adverse effects.

Swoosh!

I entered the bathroom and washed with warm water.

I had sweated quite a bit on the mountain.

While soaping my body, I glanced at my protruding abdomen. It was mine, but I didn't want it to be. The same went for my hair. The more I cut it, the less there seemed to be, a strange magical phenomenon. I wanted to get rid of both, but what could I do? I had to cherish and love them for the rest of my life.

After showering, I changed into my pajamas.

My pajamas were just a pair of trunks and running shorts.

“...”

I lay down on the bed.

I no longer had a job.

I didn't have to worry about going to work, so I could sleep in, but even as an unemployed person, a regular routine was necessary.

So, I set an alarm.

“Around 8 AM should be fine.”

When I ran the mart, I woke up at 6 AM.

I would prepare breakfast for my wife and daughter, do the dishes, and then get ready to go to the mart by 9 AM.

So, waking up at 8 AM was a luxury.

Besides, I was living alone now.

I only had to prepare breakfast for myself.

I didn't have to worry about what my wife would think of what I ate.

“...”

I closed my eyes, but sleep didn't come.

Thoughts of Chae-yeon and my daughter kept coming to mind, making me feel down.

When would I be able to think of them without feeling heartache?

I hugged my heavy heart and forced myself to sleep.

‘Maybe I should get a pet.’

Fortunately, I liked dogs and cats.

This place had a front yard and plenty of space for them to run around. Living with pets seemed like a good idea.

‘A dog would be better than a cat.’

A lively dog would bring energy to this place. I could also take the dog with me when I went up the mountain.

I felt more at ease.

My eyelids grew heavy, and I drifted off to sleep.